I’ve told you to pay close attention to Taira ahead of each of his first three UFC appearances, and I’m back here doing the same ahead of his fourth outing this weekend because I want to make sure you get a seat on the bandwagon now, as the 23-year-old Japanese flyweight has all the markings of a future title challenger.
Taira is clearly getting increasingly comfortable in the Octagon with each passing appearance as he’s spending less and less time in the UFC cage each time out.
He debuted with a unanimous decision win over Carlos Candelario last spring and followed that up with a second-round submission win over CJ Vergara five months later before returning in February and registering a first-round submission victory over Jesus Aguilar. While he’s surely not going to keep shaving time off his efforts as he continues climbing the ranks, Taira’s dominance to date has come through patient work on the canvas, and his confidence in his abilities there are not going to wane.
WATCH TATSURO TAIRA HIGHLIGHTS: Triangle Armbar Submission Win Over Jesus Aguilar | Armbar Submission Win Over CJ Vergara
There is a poise to this young man that you don’t generally see from fighters who are just 13 bouts into their careers and only a couple years into their 20s. He gets to where he wants to be, doesn’t panic if he gets stuck in a bad spot — as he did early against Aguilar — and works through his progressions until finding the finishing setup he’s after.
It really has been quite breathtaking to watch, if I’m being honest, and this weekend’s clash with Kleydson Rodrigues shouldn’t be any different.
The Brazilian dropped a split decision to Vergara in his debut but took the possibility of a loss off the table in his sophomore showing against Shannon Ross at UFC 284 in February, racing across the cage and dispatching the Australian in just 59 seconds. Now 8-2 overall, the Dana White’s Contender Series grad has things moving in the right direction and will be a dangerous test for Taira on Saturday.
This is the type of step up in competition the unbeaten Japanese prospect needs at this stage of his career — a stern test against an explosive finisher who has already shown an ability to go the distance in tough contests. It’s a good measuring stick opportunity to see where Taira is at in his progression and just how quickly he could ascend into the Top 15 in the flyweight division.
